The Mall Group, one of Thailand’s leading retail and entertainment operators, has announced a joint venture with AEG, a US-based sports and live entertainment company, for a B10-billion development of two world-class arenas: Em Live and Bangkok Arena.

The joint announcement was made last week by Supaluck Umpujh, Chairwoman of The Mall Group, and Adam Wilkes, President and Chief Executive Officer of AEG Asia.

As reported by Business Wire and The Nation, the new developments are in line with The Mall Group’s goal to elevate Bangkok, and Thailand as a whole, to the position of Asia's leading retail and entertainment hub.

Following the company’s success in developing multiple world class shopping and entertainment destinations including Siam Paragon, The Emporium and The EmQuartier, the new B3.5 billion mega-project, Em Live at The EmSphere, will take over a prime 16-rai plot of land on Sukhumvit Road near Benjasiri Park. Developed under the theme “The Iconic New Retail,” the arena will take up around 7,000-sq-meters, with a seating capacity of over 6,000 people. The arena will be opened in 2022.

Meanwhile, the Bangkok Arena at the Bangkok Mall will be built under the concept of “City within the City” and is set to be located opposite BITEC in Bangna. The B6.5-billion development will have 40,000-sq-meters of indoor space, as well as 20,000-sq-meters of outdoor space. The arena will have a capacity of up to 16,000 seats—Bangkok’s largest yet—and is scheduled to open in 2023.

The two arenas will not only transform these two neighborhoods into entertainment districts, but will also enable Bangkok to host large-scale events, offering local and international audiences more choice and enhanced live experiences, thus further positioning the city as a prime entertainment destination in Southeast Asia.

The venture will be AEG’s first foray into Southeast Asia, with past projects including the Staples Center in Los Angeles, London’s O2 Arena, Berlin and Shanghai’s Mercedes-Benz Arenas and Kansas City’s Sprint Center.